Press Release
Elo Announces Next Generation of Industry-Leading
Accutouch Touchscreen
Enhancements Include Improved Environmental Performance and Optional Industrial Mechanical Configurations
 June 2006 - Elo TouchSystems, a global leader in touch technology and a business of Tyco Electronics Corporation, has announced the next generation of its industry-leading AccuTouch five-wire resistive touchscreen technology. The new touchscreen construction offers original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) improved environmental specifications and a new option for a true flat cable attachment. Previous significant developments included the change to a Z border electrode pattern for greater edge linearity and the introduction of higher-quality glass substrates for increased durability; now Elo is adding a new construction for increased environmental stability.
Industry-Leading Product Just Got Better
"Elo invented the resistive touchscreen 35 years ago," says Elo product manager Michael Bartelmess. "As one of our core touch technologies, we are committed to continuing to refine AccuTouch, the most respected brand in resistive touchscreens." Importantly for OEMs, this latest generation of the product maintains all major components of the touchscreen, including - but not limited to - the material construction of the glass, coversheet, fired-on electrode pattern, cable and soldered cable attachment. "With a new manufacturing process for the attachment of the coversheet, we can now provide a higher temperature and humidity performance range for the resistive product line, all while maintaining our renowned tight coversheet fit and without lowering any other performance specification." The operating temperature range has been extended to 70°C and operating humidity to 90% RH at max 50°C.
The new construction has been extensively tested for nearly a year to ensure long-term reliability - the hallmark of AccuTouch touchscreens.
New Cable Attachment Option
Specifically for industrial and medical OEMs, the new AccuTouch touchscreens now offer an additional option for its cable assembly - a true flat attachment to the touchscreen - that significantly improves the integration of the touchscreen with thin front foils.
AccuTouch has always featured a flex cable, which, unlike the cables on most other resistive touchscreens, may be folded and creased for easy routing around other components. The standard AccuTouch touchscreen uses a powerful adhesive for strain relief for the cable attachment, specified to withstand a straight-line pull of 4.5kg maintained for a period of five minutes, as well as strong pulls from an angle. However, some OEMs prefer a true flat cable attachment, necessary for cosmetic reasons when the touchscreen is integrated with a thin foil frame such as polyester, rather than a plastic or aluminium bezel. With the new AccuTouch touchscreens, industrial and medical OEMs now have a choice of extra strength or flat cosmetics on the cable attachment.
Bartelmess continues, "OEMs who produce high-quality products have trusted Elo AccuTouch for years when it comes to their critical user interface. The improved AccuTouch touchscreen is part of our ongoing drive to provide customers with the highest-quality, most durable resistive touch technology possible while remaining cost competitive."
COACh III Universal Controller Chip or Integrated Controller Board
Elo's COACh III (Controller On A Chip, third generation) is a compact universal resistive touchscreen controller solution in a 64-pin LQFP package. It supports both serial and USB communication interfaces and is capable of driving either AccuTouch five-wire or Elo AT4 four-wire resistive touchscreens. Regardless of the configuration, operation is automatically detected on power-up and needs no user intervention. The COACh III fully supports Elo's SmartSet protocol and all software drivers, both serial and USB.
For those OEMs who prefer a higher level of integration, Elo offers the 2216 dual serial/USB, four-/five-wire resistive touchscreen controller board in a reduced form factor of only 35mm by 60mm.
The complete AccuTouch product line of touchscreens, plus the 2216 controller, COACh III, COACh II and original COACh chips, along with Elo's feature-rich touchscreen drivers, are all designed to work seamlessly together from a single supplier. All components are fully RoHS compliant.
About Elo TouchSystems
Elo
TouchSystems, the global leader in touch technology, develops, manufactures
and markets a complete line of touchscreen and touchmonitor products.
Elo offers the largest selection of touchscreen technologies, LCD
and CRT touchmonitors, and carefully designs each product for the
demanding requirements of diverse applications, such as industrial,
medical, POS, kiosks, retail, hospitality, transportation, office automation
and gaming. Elo founders invented the touchscreen over 30 years ago.
Since then, customers have used Elo touchscreens with one common, powerful
result advanced computer technology simplified for all users. Founded
in 1971, the company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with
manufacturing sites in the US, Europe and Asia. Elo's main regional offices
are in Kessel Lo, Belgium and Yokohama, Japan, with additional sales
and technical support offices worldwide. For more information on Elo
TouchSystems' products and services, call +32 16 35 2100 in Europe or
visit our web site at www.elotouch.co.uk.
About Tyco Electronics
Tyco
Electronics, a business segment of Tyco International Ltd., is the
world's largest passive electronic components manufacturer; a leader
in cutting edge wireless components, complete power systems, and
premise wiring components and systems; and a provider of critical
communications systems to the Land Mobile Radio industry. Tyco Electronics
provides advanced technology products from over forty well known and
respected brands, including Agastat, Alcoswitch, AMP, AMP NETCONNECT,
Buchanan, CII, CoEv, Critchley, Elcon, Elo TouchSystems, M/A COM, Madison
Cable, OEG, Potter & Brumfield, Raychem, Schrack and Simel. For more
information, visit www.tycoelectronics.com.
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Contact
AccuTouch,
Elo TouchSystems and IntelliTouch are trademarks of Elo TouchSystems,
Inc. All other products and company names referred to herein may
be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies
or mark holders.
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